EAM service fails to start in vCenter

Products

• VMware vCenter Server
• VMware vCenter Server 7.0

Issue/Introduction

EAM service fails to start.

EAM logs do not get updated.

/var/log/vmware/eam/web/catalina.log

xxxx-xx-xxT06:56:47.609Z |  WARN | main | Catalina.java | 620 | Catalina.start using conf/server.xml: Attribute "maxDays" was already specified for element "Valve".
xxxx-xx-xxT06:56:47.610Z | FATAL | main | Catalina.java | 687 | Cannot start server. Server instance is not configured.
xxxx-xx-xxT06:56:57.871Z | ERROR | main | Digester.java | 1435 | Parse Fatal Error at line 36 column 33: Attribute "maxDays" was already specified for element "Valve".

 

/var/log/vmware/wcp/wcpsvc.log

xxxx-xx-xxT04:37:14.074Z error wcp [clustersvc/monitor.go:212] [opID=vCLS] Failed to get EAM agencies: POST "/eam/sdk": 503 Service Unavailable
xxxx-xx-xxT04:37:14.074Z error wcp [clustersvc/monitor.go:110] [opID=vCLS] Unable to collect information for cluster agencies: POST "/eam/sdk": 503 Service Unavailable
xxxx-xx-xxT04:37:14.074Z error wcp [clustersvc/monitor.go:91] [opID=vCLS] EAM monitor encountered error: POST "/eam/sdk": 503 Service Unavailable

Environment

vCenter Appliance 7.x

Cause

Checking the server.xml file for eam,

/usr/lib/vmware-eam/web/conf/server.xml

            <Valve className="org.apache.catalina.valves.AccessLogValve"
                   maxDays="30"
                   directory="${eam.catalina.logdir}"
                   pattern="%h %{X-Forwarded-For}i %l %u %t [%I] &quot;%r&quot; %s %b [Processing time %D msec] &quot;%{User-Agent}i&quot;"
                   renameOnRotate="true"
                   prefix="localhost_access"
                   suffix=".log"
                   maxDays="300"/>

 

Attribute "maxDays" has been initialized twice in the same tag.

Hence in the error, we see that the attribute was already specified.

Resolution

1. Take a backup of the file /usr/lib/vmware-eam/web/conf/server.xml to /tmp.

cp  /usr/lib/vmware-eam/web/conf/server.xml /tmp/

2. Edit the /usr/lib/vmware-eam/web/conf/server.xml file a remove maxDays line.

vi /usr/lib/vmware-eam/web/conf/server.xml

Press 'i' to enter INSERT mode.

Remove the line with maxDays="30".

Before removal:

            <Valve className="org.apache.catalina.valves.AccessLogValve"
                   maxDays="30"
                   directory="${eam.catalina.logdir}"
                   pattern="%h %{X-Forwarded-For}i %l %u %t [%I] &quot;%r&quot; %s %b [Processing time %D msec] &quot;%{User-Agent}i&quot;"
                   renameOnRotate="true"
                   prefix="localhost_access"
                   suffix=".log"
                   maxDays="300"/>

After removal:

            <Valve className="org.apache.catalina.valves.AccessLogValve"
                   directory="${eam.catalina.logdir}"
                   pattern="%h %{X-Forwarded-For}i %l %u %t [%I] &quot;%r&quot; %s %b [Processing time %D msec] &quot;%{User-Agent}i&quot;"
                   renameOnRotate="true"
                   prefix="localhost_access"
                   suffix=".log"
                   maxDays="300"/>

Save the file using 'wq!'.

2. Restart the EAM service.

service-control --stop vmware-eam

service-control --start vmware-eam